Diana Penty plays an NGO worker in Lucknow Central

Diana Penty, who portrayed the lead role in the family entertainer, Happy Bhag Jayegi released last year, will be seen playing an NGO worker in her forthcoming film, Lucknow Central. 

The movie produced by Nikhil Advani and which marks the directorial debut of Ranjit Tiwari, will see Diana share screen space with Farhan Akhar for the first time. 

On why Diana was the right choice for the role, producer Nikhil Advani says, “Diana is a talented and versatile actress and is known for her interesting choice of roles and films. She brings with her an element of quiet strength that lends itself well to the character we want her to portray." 

Diana adds, "I've always wanted to be part of stories that I feel strongly about and Lucknow Central is one such story. I instantly took to it when Nikhil Advani told me about it. Playing a character that holds her own in a film that has some of the finest actors from our industry, makes it even more special for me." 

Lucknow Central follows the story of a few jail inmates who rekindle their love for music and form a band in prison with the help of an NGO worker, played by Diana.

'Tu Cheez Badi Hai Mast' to be recreated in Machine

A number of 90’s hits have been recreated and modernized for films by various directors and musicians, and joining the squad are the Men In White; Abbas-Mustan.Mustafa, who is debuting with Abbas-Mustan’s romantic thriller ‘Machine’ will be seen dancing with Kiara Advani in a modern version of the song ‘Tu Cheez Badi Hai Mast’. The song will be shot in the setup of a club and Mustafa will be seen sporting dark glasses just like the original star of the song Akshay Kumar did. The director duo said that Akki will be the first one to see the song once it’s made as they have had a long standing relation and this is also one of Akki’s well-known songs. The song will be choreographed by the talented dancer Bosco Martis The original song was sung by Udit Narayan and Kavita Krishnamurthy. The revisited version will be sung by Udit Narayan and Neha Kakkar.Machine has enchanted everyone with its song ‘Itna Tumhe’ and we’re expecting a new club anthem from their version of ‘Tu cheez badi hai mast’

R Madhavan's take on 'India:2030' impresses Harvard University students

Besides being a prolific actor, R Madhavan is also known for his motivational speeches on various occasions. 

The versatile actor visited Boston recently to address the 14th edition of the Indian Conference by Harvard Business School, which is one of the largest student-run conferences with a focus on India in the US. Madhavan, who had been specially invited for the occasion, spoke on the conference’s theme – India: 2030. 

The two-day event hosted at the Harvard Business School and Harvard Kennedy School by the graduate students of Harvard University, brought together business leaders, entertainment professionals, and many other leaders to engage in a conversation about India’s path to global leadership. 

Namrata Saraogi, a Harvard Kennedy School student and one of the organizers of the conference says, “The audience was really looking forward to hearing Madhavan, and he did not disappoint his fans. He shared his vision for India 2030 and what Indians and students at Harvard could do to achieve this vision.” 

“He shared stories about his life, movies and dreams which inspired each and every one in the audience to work hard and conquer the world,” she adds.  

Saurav Patyal, first year MBA student at the Harvard Business School says, “Mr Madhavan's talk focused on catalyzing change at the ground level to transform India by 2030.This left the all of us at the India Conference at Harvard deeply inspired. Moreover, it resonated with Harvard Business School's own mission to educate leaders who make a difference in the world.” 

Sunandi Chopra, PhD. MIT adds, “Madhavan’s thought-provoking message to the students had a perfect balance of gravity and wit. With his eloquent speech, charming demeanor, eclectic thoughts and humble personality, he left an indelible mark on the students. His earnest vision for India 2030 where he is hopeful that all of us would cherish and be grateful to the contributions of our mothers in nurturing us, immensely resonated with me. We were honored by Madhavan's presence and appreciative of the knowledge he shared with us.”

Indian Idol 9 with Govinda

When Govinda’s wife Sunita kept Big B and Dharmendra’s pics by her side

In an interesting revelation, Bollywood actor Govinda’s wife has had everyone present on the sets of The Kapil Sharma Show in splits. As she recently made an appearance with her husband Govinda in the show, they revealed the funniest of moments of their life. During one of the conversations in the show, Sunita went on to mention that she wanted a handsome son like Amitabh Bachchan and Dharmendra.While the tinseltown is known for handsome heroes and gorgeous actresses, Navjot Singh Sidhu started praising Govinda’s son Yashwardhan’s look who is reportedly set to enter Bollywood. It is during this conversation that Sunita spilled the beans of having Big B and Dharmendra’s pictures by her side to have a good looking son just like them.A source from the set informs, “Sunita mentioned that when she was pregnant, she used to have the pictures of the two Bollywood stars. Govinda, Kapil Sharma, Sidhu and everyone present on set could not hold their laughter.”